FCT PhD Programmes
Purpose and Overview
Latest news
30.05.2014 - In the 2012 and 2013 calls 96 FCT PhD Programmes have, to date, been approved. Here you will find a complete list of selected PhD programmes and a summary of results of this funding scheme
FCT wishes to contribute to train the next generation of highly qualified researchers and higher education faculty by supporting internationally competitive, research-based PhD Programmes.
FCT PhD Programmes are expected to bring together higher education institutions (HEI), research institutions and industry (when relevant), to:
- Promote world-class graduate education and research-based training;
- Foster collaborations and sharing of resources between Portuguese institutions, to bolster the international quality and status of these institutions;
- Equip students with the necessary transferable skills to become excellent scientists as well as active members of the communities they may find themselves in.
FCT PhD Programmes may be one of three types:
- National - should involve at least one HEI and one research institution (both Portuguese);
- With Industry – should involve at least one research institution, one industrial R&D partner, and one Portuguese HEI;
- International – should involve at least one HEI and one research institution (both Portuguese) and an overseas HEI or R&D institution.
Funding for FCT PhD Programmes covers the costs of:
- PhD studentships (national or mixed), for three or four years maximum, and/or Bolsas de Investigação Científica (BIC), for a maximum duration of one year;
- Courses, laboratory rotations or other types of field work that may be necessary to achieve the scientific aims of the PhD programme.
Selected PhD programmes are funded for four years. Further funding is conditional on a decision by FCT, based on reports by the FCT PhD Programmes Evaluation Committee.
In each call, a restricted number of PhD Programmes are approved, based on the decision of an international, independent evaluation panel. To date, 96 FCT PhD programmes have been approved for funding, in the 2012 and 2013 calls.